Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games praised in IOC report, decentralized model deemed successful

The International Olympic Committee released its final report on the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Games. It recorded more than 5.4 million spectators and visitors across competition sites, fan villages and the torch relay, and an estimated global television audience of 2.6 billion people.

The report highlights the viability of the Games' decentralized, multi‑region format, noting that it allowed the event to adapt to the host country rather than forcing cities to conform to a single‑city model. It recommends improvements for future Games, such as enhancing athlete‑village services, creating a unified Medals Plaza to strengthen athlete cohesion, and addressing lower satisfaction rates among athletes housed in single‑discipline hotels (53 % satisfied versus 74 % in larger villages). Spectator experience was rated positively, with 85 % of ticket holders describing it as good or excellent. The model has been cited by officials in New York and Lake Placid as a reference for future bids.